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It's easy to see why so many people have criticized the state income tax return. Not that any sane person ever likes a tax return, but our 104A short form now resembles a multiple-choice test for philanthropy.
You can pick among four places to send money, other than the state treasury, which they don't give you a choice about: the Nongame Wildlife Fund, the Domestic Abuse Fund, the United States Olympic Committee Fund and the Veterans Memorial Tribute Fund.
It used to be that people just accosted you on the street and inquired as to whether you had any spare change for a worthy cause, such as feeding the ragged person who just happened to be the solicitor.
Now it's cleaner. Just put a number in box 4, 5, 6 or 7. The state takes that from you and sends it on. Perhaps these all noble causes, but I have problems with all of them.
The Nongame Wildlife Fund exists because the Division of
Wildlife gets most of its income from hunting and fishing
licenses, and therefore feels compelled to spend its money
on the animals that its patrons want to harvest.
Little money was left for otters, Colorado River squawfish
and similar creatures not harvested by sportsmen.
However, the people I know who hunt and fish do so because they like the outdoors. I don't know of one who'd complain if some of his license money went for protecting unhuntable or inedible species. Outdoorsmen are more enlightened than the Division of Wildlife seems to think. Besides, all of us presumably benefit from a thriving wildlife population in Colorado. If we all benefit, then we all should pay through regular taxes, not through this voluntary check-off method.
A Domestic Abuse Fund? Why are we funding Domestic Abuse? Don't we have enough of that anyway? If the money goes toward preventing domestic abuse, then why isn't it called the Domestic Abuse Prevention Fund? How does this money prevent domestic abuse? If they had to raise money the old-fashioned way, by begging for it, then maybe we'd get an accurate name and we'd find out what the money does.
Every time you buy a candy bar or roll of film, you get your chance to help pay for the exploitation of young athletes by the demands of commerce and nationalism. Why does the state need to be involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee Fund?
Then there's the Veterans Memorial Tribute fund. Let's see. Veterans get preferential hiring from government agencies. (Note, though, that the recruiting ads often emphasize how military experience almost guarantees civilian success. Thus veterans should already hold an edge in the job market without any padding of their scores on the Civil Service test.) Veterans just got their own cabinet department from the same president who promised to reduce the size of the cabinet.
At first, it looks as though we treat veterans pretty well in this country. But we can't forget that soldiers die. Honoring the victims of battle with a memorial may not much in the way of compensation for their lives, but it's about all we can do.
However, their sacrifices presumably benefited all of society. In that case, everyone should contribute to the memorial through taxes.
The only other conclusion is that those sacrifices did not benefit society as a whole -- only certain elements. Which elements? Smedley Butler, a U.S. Marine Corps commander, had one theory:
I helped purify Nicaragua for the international
banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-12. I helped make
Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil
interests in 1914. I brought light to the Dominican
Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. I helped
make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City
(Bank) boys to collect revenue in. I helped in the rape of
half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of
Wall Street.
Never mind. For his honest and faithful service, Gen. Butler got hauled before some un-American Activities Committee, and besides, I can't imagine any investment house erecting a memorial to those who gallantly died to protect its equity holdings. They'll let us donate on our income-tax forms.
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